Key highlights from November 19, 2024, NBA action, including toe-to-toe finishes and record-breaking numbers.
Here’s the NBA Daily Recap for November 20, 2024, where some exciting games and injuries made headlines on social media. From the 76ers’ worst NBA record to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s season-high performance, let’s go through the key highlights from the action on Tuesday night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo highlighted a 41-point performance to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a fourth straight victory over the Chicago Bulls. The Greek Freak netted a triple-double with 8 rebounds and 9 assists. Brook Lopez added 21 points, while Damian Lillard had 20 points. After making a 2-8 start, the Bucks improved the record with four wins in the last five games. Zach LaVine paced the Bulls with 27 points including a comeback in the fourth quarter. With eight minutes to go, the Bucks had the 2-point advantage but they had a 18-4 run to finish the game.
Cleveland Cavaliers returned to the winning track after the first defeat of the season against Celtics. The Caves routed the New York Pelicans 128-100, thanks to Jerome’s 29 points. Ty Jerome hit six of seven from deep, including a 20-point second quarter. Caves had a 32-point advantage heading into the final quarter as they outscored Pelicans 36-18 in the third. Georges Niang hit six threes to finish with 20 points. Jaylon Tyson and Jarrett Allen led the Caves with a double-double (16 points and 11 rebounds each). Rookie Antonio Reeves celebrated his birthday with 34 points for the Pelicans, who fell to 4-12, one place off the bottom of the Western Conference.
Houston Rockets extended their home streak to six matches with a convincing win over Indiana Pacers. Alperen Sengun guided the Rockets with a season-high 31 points and 12 rebounds. The Pacers were not in the frame as Houston had a 21-point advantage in the third quarter with an 11-5 run. Jabari Smith Jr. chipped in 23 points, his second 20-point performance in four games, while Fred VanVleet had 18 points and six assists. Quenton Jackson paced Indiana with a career-high 24 points and Pascal Siakam poured in 21 points. With four defeats in the last five games, the Pacers dropped to 6-9.
Jalen Williams’s 30 points and Isaiah Hartenstein’s double-double in his season debut charged the Oklahoma City Thunder to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 109-99. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points and made all 14 of his free throws to help the Thunder halt a two-game losing streak. Thunder outscored the Blazers 56-32 in points in the paint. It was a toe-to-toe encounter in the first three quarters but Oklahoma City snatched the win with a 39-30 fourth quarter. Four out of five starters scored in double-figures for the Blazers and Sharpe was on high with 21 points.
Philadelphia 76ers (2-12) dropped their sixth straight game to have the officially worst record in the NBA this season. Sixers tried their three All-Star players for the first time this season and the first quarter was tied on 31 points. Grizzlies used a 32-22 second-quarter surge to pull away. Paul George’s injury made it worse for the 76ers. Jaren Jackson charged Memphis with 25 points and got support from Desmond Bane who chipped in 21 points with 10 rebounds. Joel Embiid improved from the Florida game and scored 35 points for the Sixers in the loss. With five straight home wins, Memphis improved to 9-7 in the West.
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Jalen Brunson (36 P) and Karl-Anthony Towns (34 P) added 70 points together to guide an impressive win for the Knicks on the road. With a fourth straight win, the Knicks improved to 9-6 and Phoenix fell to 9-7. All five starters scored in double figures for New York. Josh Hart contributed 19 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Suns was led by Devin Booker who added 33 points and Jusuf Nurkic chipped in 14 points and 12 rebounds. The Knicks set momentum by taking the first quarter 44-28 and had a 76-58 lead at halftime. The Suns fought hard with a 19-12 run but the Knicks pulled off with a 11-2 run.
Golden State Warriors extended their winning run at home with a dominating 120-97 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Andrew Wiggins paced the Warriors with 27 points while Stephen Curry had 23. Trayce Jackson-Davis finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Buddy Hield had 11 points off the bench. The Warriors dropped 41 in the opening half to set the momentum and had a 67-42 lead at the half break. Haws reduced the deficit to 15 points in the third quarter but the Warriors again dominated the game with 30-22 fourth-quarter. Jalen Johnson chipped in 15 points and 14 rebounds for Atlanta and got the support from Trae Young who had a double-double with 12 points and 11 assists.
LA Clippers continued their unbeaten run at home as they snapped Orlando Magic’s six-game winning streak. Paolo Banchero-less Magic controlled the Clippers’ offense but a 30-22 third quarter allowed Los Angeles to gain momentum. James Harden scored 24 points and Amir Coffey contributed 18. Ivac Zubac posted a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Anthony Black had 17 points and eight assists for the Magic. Jalen Suggs added 16 points and Franz Wagner supported with 14 points and 6 rebounds. It was the first time in 7 matches that an opponent scored more than 100 points against Orlando. They now dropped to 2-7 on the road this season with an overall record of 9-7.
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